Hazing isn't all bad - it can bring teammates together 

By Chris Papst
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In recent years, hazing has become a sordid term. Forty- four states have passed anti- hazing laws, including Pennsylvania. In severe cases, the practice is brutal and damaging. But it also can be positive. I was hazed as a young man, and it taught me an important lesson that will be lost on younger generations.

Chris Papst

A scandal is rocking the Franklin & Marshall College girls’ lacrosse team. Following reports of hazing, the school has fired its national-championship-winning coach and kicked nearly every upperclassman off the team — right before playoffs.

In three years at F&M, coach Lauren Paul had an incredible .875 winning percentage. In her first year as head coach in 2009, she won a national title. As a player there, she holds many records. In the aftermath of the school’s decision, the team canceled its season and removed its bid to the NCAA tournament.

Possibly in an attempt to make amends, the school asked the students to return to the team. They rejected the offer and lawyered-up, along with the coach. An ugly court battle is brewing.

Reporting this story took me back 14 years to when I was hazed. It was a chilly, but not cold, winter night in North Carolina. I was part of a large freshman class of baseball players at Elon University. Our initiation was planned long in advance. No one complained. No one whined. We understood we were following in the footsteps of the upperclassmen. We were honored to be part of the tradition.

The night began with all the freshmen being hogtied, blindfolded and dropped in the bed of a pickup truck. We were sprayed with cold water. The 20-minute drive around town was unpleasant, to say the least. Disoriented and lost, we found ourselves lying on a concrete floor in a windowless room. We were left alone in the dark. After awhile, the door opened. While still hogtied and blindfolded, we were removed one by one. I was taken to a crowded room with a lot of noise.

My feet were cut loose from my hands, but remained tied together. My feet were placed in ice water and I was asked questions. When I got three right in a row, I was freed and welcomed onto the team with hugs and handshakes. When the night was over, our team was a team. A sense of trust had been instilled, along with a feeling of group and purpose. The seniors and freshmen were no longer separated by age and experience.

It no longer mattered if we were from Florida or Pennsylvania; if you were the star pitcher or a fifth-year backup catcher. Differences became meaningless. We all shared in an experience all our own. We became one.

After my freshman year, I transferred to the University of Pittsburgh, where I finished my college career. The Panthers did not have a right of initiation. The team seemed to lack a certain bond. There were cliques, rivalries and separations. We were a team, but not in the same way Elon was a team.

Today’s youth most likely will not get to live the experience I just shared. And it’s unfortunate. Political correctness is not necessarily doing them any favors.